SUMMARY
The research interests of Catherine E. Vanderboom, Ph.D., R.N., involve community-based interventions for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Vanderboom currently leads the Community Care Team work at Mayo Clinic, funded by the Minnesota State Innovation Model cooperative agreement, awarded to the Minnesota Departments of Health and the Minnesota Department of Human Services by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
The Health Care Home, a patient-centered care model, places an emphasis on care coordination and self-management support rather than disease management. Registered nurses, functioning as nurse care coordinators (NCCs), have proved to play a critical role on interdisciplinary primary care teams in improving patient outcomes. The focus of Dr. Vanderboom's research in this area is to identify patients who are likely to use care coordination and evaluation of the health and utilization outcomes associated with use of NCCs.
Dr. Vanderboom also is working in the area of advance care planning, an ongoing process that involves identification of an individual's values and beliefs regarding end-of-life care. The focus of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of advance care planning initiated by NCCs in primary care settings.
In addition, Dr. Vanderboom is examining the transitional care needs of patients requiring palliative care. Transitional care services promote safe and timely movement of patients between the health care and home settings and have consistently demonstrated improved quality, satisfaction with care, and reductions in hospital readmissions and health care costs. The focus of this research is on addressing the needs of patients requiring palliative care, and their caregivers, who transition from acute care to home settings in rural locations.
Focus areas
- Community care teams
- Nurse care coordination
- Advanced care planning
- Transitional palliative care
Significance to patient care
Dr. Vanderboom works to understand the effects of community-based interventions on the outcomes of older adults with chronic health conditions. Her research is built upon clinical practice in a range of community settings. Dr. Vanderboom's long-term research goal is to develop and evaluate care coordination interventions that support patient self-management to improve population-level health outcomes for individuals with multiple chronic health conditions.
Professional highlights
- Member, Health Care Homes Advisory Committee, Practice Transformation workgroup, Minnesota Department of Health, 2015
- Recognized for outstanding leadership, Health Care Homes/Community Care Teams, Minnesota Department of Health, 2015
- Editorial board member, Viewpoint, American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing, 2014-present
- Reviewer, Applied Nursing Research, 2014-present
- Reviewer, Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2008
- Recipient, Dean's Legacy Award, Case Western Reserve University, 2006